Through Times and Spaces
by kotane
Summary: AU. Sherlock and John are two friends who seek out each other through rebirth cycles, starting with their life in Atlantis to their fateful meeting in XXI century. Um... Not as strange as it seems, give it a try (please?). I even plan on making them save the world. Friendship, Angst, definitely an Adventure, and Fantasy with Lost Continents back-story.
1. Prologue

**_A/N_**_ Hello people! How have you been? Nice holidays? Happy New Year, by the way! =)_

_So... It's been my birthday quite recently, so I told myself "let's be crazy and post this story before dying of old age, 'cause I love it so much". And Unclesoviet was pressing me into posting anything at all :p_

_It's totally AU. Like absolutely. At least in the first ten or so chapters (which aren't written yet, which means judging by your reaction I would or would not stop this madness). The main characters are Sherlock and John... more or less (you'll see ;) ). And I'm taking a huge creative licence on the historical truth. Please don't hate me for that ^^_

_It'll be mostly rated T, but there will be some "bonus" side-stories that may go up to M because of some heavy angsty stuff._

**_Disclaimer: _**_you recognize it, I don't own it. I'll be picking from various sources, and since it's just a fanfic, there is probably no point in listing my bibliography, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are my main sources of inspiration. All credit goes to them!_

**_Warnings:_**_characters' death, the world's end. I hope you'll get the logic behind this if you read the next chapter ^^_

_Not beta-ed, not Brit-picked. I'm still a half-breed Frenchie who stuggles with the English grammar. Oh, and I slightly altered their names for the time being... It's rather recognizable anyway._

_Well then, I hope you'll enjoy! Reviews would be lovely =)_

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><p>They were going to die. Their glorious nation and their beautiful world were going to disappear.<p>

Both men stared at the screen with sheer horror painted all over their tanned faces. They had done the impossible to prevent it from happening, but it hadn't been enough.

Atlantis was doomed.

The Captain of the Atlas Royal Army and Leader of the Healer's Ring, Jo-Ham turned to his friend, the Chief of the Atlas Royal Intelligence Secret Service, Hol-Lock. His usually cheerful features were stricken with pain and fury, but his voice was filled only with deep, desperate sadness.

"I suppose this is as far as we go, Lock." The curly-haired brunette slammed his hands against the keyboard and fiercely glared at the army-man standing perfectly still at his side. He hated failures. And this time, the failure had consequences no one in the whole world could ignore. But he wouldn't give up, not now, not when his friend's life was at stake. Everybody's life, actually.

"Don't be stupid, Jo." The Captain looked at his feet angrily, avoiding the silver-eyed spy's gaze, and suddenly hit the wall with all his strength, leaving small cracks in the yellow clay.

"Even you can't stop this bloody program, Lock! We can't save anyone now! In one hour, everything we ever knew will cease to exist! The Black Spider won…" he finished with a chocked sob escaping his burning throat. Jo-Ham wasn't ashamed of crying anymore. It didn't matter. God, he could barely grasp the scale of the impending catastrophe. Despite all the work they managed to pull the last few months, the crazy game was driving to its awful end.

Hol-Lock frowned at the sight of the bravest man in Atlantis shattering in front of him. He didn't want that. But even his stubborn and brilliant mind couldn't refute the reality of the situation. They all had less than an hour to live. The code lines running on the screen were the ultimate proof of the Apocalypse's program launch.

"We won't see each other again…" he whispered while pressing his face into his hands, heart-broken. Jo-Ham snapped from his panic attack to look at the genius. They knew each other for years, and since the day they met in a dusty schoolyard the blonde had always known how truly fragile Lock was behind his mask of coldness, how kind his heart was despite his harsh words.

A crazy idea popped in his head. He didn't want to leave his best friend, the one he was tied to by blood and tears. He grabbed Lock's shoulder in a frantic call for attention. The hardly concealed pain in those piercing eyes confirmed his suspicions. Hol-Lock was giving in despair.

"I might be able to help this" he said, feeling like a mad-man, but hey, wasn't the planet spinning mad right now? "Follow me."

They ran through corridors and empty rooms, through gardens and streets, all doomed to be erased so soon, so very soon. If the circumstances hadn't been so tragic, Jo-Ham would have reveled in being the one to lead their race for once. It took them ten minutes to reach their destination.

Hol-Lock stopped, blinking at the setting sun. "The Healer's Altar? What are we doing here?"

"I suppose you paid no attention when I was talking about my recent research, right?" Jo-Ham smiled fondly at the confused and mildly abashed Intel-Officer.

Blood colors were spilling over the western sky, while the dark blue took over the east. Jo-Ham touched the sand-colored door and it opened soundlessly as the hidden identification mechanism recognized the Leader. They entered the empty underground laboratory. It was the crew's day-off. At ease in this environment, Jo-Ham picked out a small tube on the largest table, full of a golden liquid, and prepared two injection needles.

"What's this?" Hol-Lock asked. His expression combined curiosity and childish pout in a unique harmonious way.

"A secret research. Not sure you have the clearance level necessary to access the details, but well…" he teased. "I was working on the soul's transfer for some time now" the Healer continued his explanation while rolling his sleeves to expose the tanned skin of his forearms. "It's not stable, nor tested, and apparently never will be, but it's our only chance to meet again after the world's end." He gestured his friend to expose the crook of his elbow too.

Suddenly over-excited, Hol-Lock stretched out his pale limb to Jo and grinned. "It will make us reincarnate, right?"

"It's supposed to do so, yes" Jo-Ham sighed and planted the needle in the translucent flesh. The golden liquid coursed through the Spy's veins. Lock watched the Captain do the same to his own body. They looked at each other, acceptance and shivering hope sparkling between them.

Jo-Ham nodded and they made their way out to the street. "I don't know if we would keep our memory once… once we die. But as long as I will roam on this planet, I will always look out for you, my friend" solemnly said the Soldier and Healer, his gaze locked on the darkening sky.

"Jo, we're tied by blood we shed, by trust we shared, by joys we experienced together. I swear to find you, whenever and wherever we are born again."

They stood silent for a while, enjoying their last moments together in this lifetime. "How many chances would we have?" Lock asked softly.

"Cycles of rebirth are supposed to be repeated endlessly. However, I doubt there is an established frequency to those reincarnations." Jo answered absent-mindedly. A doubt gnawed at his heart. "How would we find each other again?" he said. His voice was much calmer than he really felt. They didn't think about this teensy little detail.

But Hol-Lock's brilliance didn't fail them. After a short silence, he spouted: "Atlantis and its allies will sink into oblivion, but not its technology. Instant post systems all over the world. They can run on sun energy for millennia. People would forget, but some of those devices must survive long enough. Let's leave messages to each other using our code."

Jo-Ham eyed his enthusiastic friend admiringly. He could come up with an almost flawless plan in such a desperate situation. Their code, the unique code they used as kids to crypt their messages. And the post system. One just had to enter the right code to receive the delivery someone posted from miles and miles away. Jo smiled. "You're amazing. Let's do that. Let's remember it."

After a brief hesitation, he gave his best friend a heartfelt hug, and the usually impassive man returned it. They broke apart, awkwardly hiding their tears, and walked to the beach in silence. The last hour of their lives was running out.

A deafening crack echoed through the chilly air as they stood on the quay. Shouts and screams came from the city. They watched in awe the sun rising again at the west. The blood spilled again over the night sky. So many wonderful, precious, unreplaceable things were about to be lost in an instant.

While the giant wave rushed to Atlantis, both men watched it impassively.

"Till next time, Hol-Lock, my friend."

"See you again, Jo-Ham."

And darkness swallowed them all.


	2. Chapter 1 - Greece

**_A/N_**_Happy to see you in this new chapter!_

_Just so you know, I'm still not writting romance. AlthoughI appreciate reading some Johnlock or Sherlolly sometimes, everytime I write a love story it turns into a Shakespearean tragedy. And I want this one story to have a happy-ending. So bromance it is. Sorry?.. ^^'_

**_Disclaimer: _**_If I owned anything my bank account wouldn't be in red every time I check it, right?_

**_Warnings: _**_Nothing shocking in this one. At least in my opinion._

_Reviews would be lovely =) Enjoy!_

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><p>The sun was high in the sky when the young man went past the city guards. They lazily watched him walk away on the dusty road. The teen was the son of a well-known family of medics and the garrison knew him well enough to not be overly preoccupied by his weekly expeditions outside Athens.<p>

Timon waited until the city walls were out of sight to leave the road and run across tiny paths between green olive trees. It was the middle of the summer, and the heat kept everyone at home. He didn't want to be found out, not when he finally located the device.

The ascent to the rocky hill had been tedious, his sandals slipping on the moss, but the boy kept on moving forward. Finally, finally he took a deep breath, standing at the top of the landscape, feeling at the top of the world. After making sure no one could oversee him, he squatted and started looking for something, his young face intent and serious.

His hand pressed on an unassuming rock and something clicked. Blue eyes shone with relief when a metallic box rose from the ground, looking absolutely out of place in those antique times. The young man quickly reached the device and opened the keyboard. Forgotten symbols gloomily gleamed at him. He hurried to enter the code _Hedgehog_. There was no need for elaborate code-names when there were only two users left to this system.

Alas, the box was empty. Jo-Ham sighed and sank to the ground.

"Looks like I'm the first…" he murmured in the sea language, the one they used in Atlantis.

But it was too early to give up. He picked up his cotton bag and fished out tools for writing. Actually, the old cloth and the charcoal weren't supposed to be used that way, but he was fed up with his fellow citizens and their strangely archaic technology. He started to write, carefully, saving as much place as possible. Too much things had to be told. Happily the sea language was easily written and took less space than the contemporary Greek.

_Dear Hol-Lock,_

_How should I start this? I have no idea… But for my defense, it is an unusual situation._

_It seems like the formula worked for me! I sincerely hope that it worked for you too, and that I'm just the first one to get to the post system. Tell me, where are you? And did you get your memory back immediately?_

_I was born in Athens. They called me Timon. My guess is that it has been five hundred years since the Apocalypse. Not sure. All the records were erased, and only rumors remain. I'll have to look into it, even if it'd be up your street, not mine. I've never been as good as you at investigating. But considering the time gap, it's suspicious to have such a radical removal of all references to Atlantis and its allies. The cataclysm couldn't be the only reason._

_Other important point, I didn't remember a thing before I turned thirteen. It was sudden and overwhelming. My current family got seriously worried when I lost consciousness. But I remembered everything, that's a good point. Then I had to spend two years to find a working postbox. So I'm fifteen now._

_How old are you? Gosh, it's so strange to ask that. I want to know how you're doing. I was the one to drag you into this. Was there an alternative? Atlantis literally vanished, and we would have been completely erased as well. No one has the right to erase you, not you, never you and your brilliant mind. You can do so much for this world. And I'd miss you if you were to never be born again._

_So please, let me know that you're out there. Please, don't disappear._

_I'll be checking as frequently as possible. I do realize that we might be far apart, cities grew so distant since the world's end, and it takes days to do a once half-an-hour ride. But knowing you well-off would be enough._

_If you're reading this, know that I'll be training as a medic. The medicine had been thrown way back since our time. I can't let this continue, but there is not so much one could with current tools and ethic restrictions. But I'll keep trying. Together, we turned the tables more times that I can count. Hopefully I'm still able to handle this mess on my own._

_Till next time, my friend._

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><p><strong><em>AN _**_Timon means "honour, esteem" (Ancient Greek)._

_I guess you're getting the overall idea of this? It'll be more clear in the next chapter._


	3. Chapter 2 - Lune Valley

_**A/N** Hey, congrats for coming this far! _

_I'm totally making up all of this "rebirth cycles" thing, by the way. I was obsessed with the lost continents about ten years ago, drawing maps and all, and it just came back to me recently while reading about Edgar Cayce. Quite interesting if anything. However not proven to be historical truth, and I'm not taking a side on any of this ^^_

**_Disclaimer: _**_you recognize it, I don't own it._

**_Warnings: _**_implicit character's death, nothing graphic. Ginger Sherlock._

_Critics would be awesome =) Enjoy!_

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><p>The keyboard clicked softly when he entered his code, <em>Eagle<em>. The inside of the box shone for a few seconds and he briskly pulled the handle. There was a white cloth, marred with charcoal. First disappointed, he was fast to remember that the writing deteriorated to an alarming depth during the time he was away. This rug had probably been the closest Jo-Ham could get to paper, and he didn't have much better with him right now. Hol-Lock smiled and took the precious message from the box.

The scent of olive trees and heated rocks assaulted his senses, and he couldn't help but bury his face in the cloth, inhaling and examining fragrances of the place his friend had been. Olives. Rocks. Sun. Mediterranean shore it is. He cringed at the thought that they ended up separated by miles and miles. Right now, pines and oaks surrounded him, and the air was humid. The rain just stopped, leaving drops everywhere to shine under the sunrise. Spring was claiming its rights in the Lune Valley. Hol-Lock carefully unfolded the cloth, ran his fingers over the familiar handwriting and started reading.

At the end of the message, he felt his eyes swell with tears. This new body was far too weak to emotions. But this was a good enough reason to feel his heart ache and fall apart. Jo-Ham had lived centuries before him. The post system preserved the scent of the trees that must have withered decades ago, but it didn't make it easier. His friend had been reincarnated in Greece. Hol-Lock was living in the Western part of Britain, confined in his small village and trained to be a druid. He recovered his memory a few months before finding the functioning post device. But it was futile. Jo-Ham wasn't there to wait on the other end of the line for his message.

The young man fell heavily to the ground and sobbed, forgetting about pride. No one was there to see him, anyway. Alone. He was alone; despite loving parents in the village he had been calling home and admiring co-trainees. The only person he wished to be with was already dead. Or not born yet? What was the right term?

The wind whispered its prayers to green leaves. Hol-Lock mussed his hair in a stubborn manner to get a grip on his transport. In this life he was ginger. Actually, all his features had been altered. The reincarnation was not about genetics, after all. But his eyes remained the same old silver. He sniffed, and decided to tell Jo about this observation.

His thoughts turned back to the information he just received. Jo-Ham estimated the Apocalypse having taken place roughly five hundred years before his reincarnation. Hol-Lock knew for certain that the current era was situated around a thousand years after the world's end – there had been ancient tablets and engravings kept safe by druids for all these years. Even if the primary purpose of druids had long been forgotten (who would guess that their practices were issued from the Atlantis overseas territories' secret service codex?), the clan had passed through centuries and managed to preserve a tiny part of the ancient knowledge. He sighed. What an irony. Being reincarnated in Britain… In his previous life, he was born in Avalon, once a stronghold of the Atlantis Empire. Now the beautiful island was gone, swallowed by angry seas, along with the proud kingdom.

But the ex-Intel Officer had to admit that the disappearance of the major part of information about the alliance and lost lands in general wasn't a result of a natural historical phenomenon. He read about historical processes, and memorized most of the books (it was useful data indeed). Five hundred years were barely enough to forget about such a disaster. However, Greeks didn't recall a thing about it; neither did Celts during his own time (except for the druids, of course). What could have happened?...

He rose to his feet and tried to enter the code in the post system again, but there were no new messages. Maybe Jo-Ham patiently waited for his answer until growing old and passing away; maybe he didn't have enough time to write another letter. Who knows? It was frustrating, need more data, access denied… He growled and stared angrily at the cotton cloth in his hands. What's the point of…

Wait.

He reread the letter with excitement taking over him. Such an interesting discovery! Their memory. They didn't have their memory from the start. The recollection of past lives occurred at one point in time. It was still to be confirmed with Jo, but he was fairly certain that they needed to be in contact with an artefact from the Atlantis culture in order to recover their soul's memory.

As fast as the excitement rose in him, the dread took over. That meant that it would be more difficult for them to find each other. They wouldn't be able to recognize each other without their memories. The chances were frighteningly thin. It was much more probable that they'd met without even knowing how much they'd been through together in a previous life.

"No, I don't want that" he whispered while pulling out a greyish cloth and a charcoal.

_Dear Jo-Ham,_

_Don't worry anymore, your formula worked for me too. Unfortunately and faithfully to your predictions, the cycle of rebirth had been different for both of us. I presume my new life takes place five hundred years after yours. Should I even mention my disappointment when I realized this fact? Not to mention that you've been in Greece while I'm spending my life in a disquieting proximity of Avalon. Or whatever remains of it._

_I have a list of observations I need to share with you. We need to discern the rules of this phenomenon, to understand its pattern in order to take control of it. The lack of data is infuriating._

_First, my eyes have the same shape and color as during Atlantis' times. Do you notice a similar response on your body? It might be a distinctive sign._

_Second, I need to know, are those cycles fixed or changeable? I don't wish to miss your existence by centuries again._

_Third, I need you to recall the exact circumstances of your memories' recovery. In fact, I experienced the memory return quite recently. My body's age is twelve right now, and I came into contact with an artefact of our lost civilization. I am fairly certain the direct contact triggered the hidden reminiscences to surface. If my theory turns out correct, I'm afraid our task would become more complex that we expected it to be. It wouldn't be improbable that one or both of us would live a whole life without even realizing our essence._

_Now, tell me, why didn't you leave another message during your Greek life? Did something happen?_

_As I know you would scold me for saying nearly nothing about myself, and as I hope you'd be born and aware of my existence soon enough, I'd tell you this: they call me Caiside, I'm a ginger and I'm training with druids. I was rather content to see how well the clan preserved the codex I created for the overseas' department. Of course, drastic adaptations were needed, but they kept almost all guidelines. Time and knowledge are truly a fascinating subject._

_There is no place left anymore, so I'll have to stop writing. I expect to read your answer very soon._

_See you again, my friend._

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><p><strong><em>AN_**_So yeah, Caiside means "curly head" (it's Ancient Irish). Couldn't help myself =)_

_Oh, and I'd be glad to take some prompts! The point is to make boys finally meet in 2010, and I have a plot going on, but I'm still not set on times and spaces when and where they'd be reborn again. I'd probably mess with the gender too at one point._


	4. Chapter 3 - Central America

**_A/N_**_ Hello! First of all, I was really hesitant about keeping this going (maybe a normal case!fic would have been a better option for a new story), so I want to thank all those who read it so far, and special thanks to kilatails for favoriting and to Unclesoviet for reviewing =) I'll keep it going for now, but don't be surprised if I freak out and delete it out of the blue, coward as I am._

**_Disclaimer: _**_Still don't own a thing. Wait, no, I own a laptop. And that's all._

**_Warnings:_**_nothing in particular... non-graphic implication of character's death, but you'll have to get used to it if you consider to keep reading this story._

_Criticism is very welcome!_

_Enjoy =)_

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><p><em>Dear Hol-Lock,<em>

_How to express my relief at finally seeing a message of yours? You haven't been erased; you've entered the cycle of rebirth along with me. No matter the stakes, we'll meet someday. I do believe in it, please share my conviction._

_How long has it been since you sent your letter? I'm fairly certain that we ended up in the same timeline. My name here is Ichik and I'm sixteen now_

_However, if you're living in Britain, we won't be able to meet. I'm currently on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. My people are called Mayas, and they're mostly descendants of citizens of Western Atlantis and probably some of our allies from the Pacific. As you can see, they progressed to using papyrus and the architecture is quite impressive indeed. But the religion irks me a bit. I won't bore you with that, I know it's not your forte._

_I confess that your letter made me laugh. It's so… you. No beating about the bush, spot on with your deductions. And well, you appear to be right about all this, as usual._

_My eyes have the same shape and color as in previous lives. I noticed it in Greece, but didn't think much about it. Could have been a coincidence, right? But if it's recurrent for both of us, I may start to believe in this saying –eyes are the mirror of the soul. Poetic, don't you think?_

_Concerning the cycles' length, I'm afraid I have no idea. The formula was purely experimental. It was barely tested. In fact, we are literally first subjects. Not that it should bother you, since I can remember two or three times where you couldn't help but to test your own inventions on yourself. Or on me. Not even sure what's worse, treating you in the aftermath or having you put me in a hospital? Can't decide yet._

_Now, I think this will catch your attention. You're absolutely right; the memory is triggered by the contact with an artefact. First time, I found an old toy in the attic, and this time I brushed against a sacred item during a ceremony. It was pure luck that I touched this stuff, but thank God it worked. So we have to be sort of awakened? Well, I'm not losing hope, but wouldn't the number of artefacts in the world decline with time? Wouldn't there be a point where we won't be able to remember anymore? I… I think it's properly terrifying. I don't want to die again and again without seeing you at least once._

_Anyway… Caiside? Doesn't it mean 'curly hair'? I guess it suits you just well. But ginger? Must be worth seeing. Definitely. Pity photographs are not invented yet._

_About my Greek life, as you call it… It wasn't a long life, indeed. There was a pandemic soon after my first letter, and I tried to help. My skills and knowledge were above the norm, but I spent too much time with my patients. Sanitary conditions are not at their best these days, so I got sick and died. But since you weren't even born, I do not regret it._

_I hope you're still out there. I'll wait for your answer._

_Till next time, my friend._

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><p><strong><em>AN: _**_Ichik is Mayan for Rainbow, apparently._

_Keep you posted next week for Lock's answer._


	5. Chapter 4 - Lune Valley 2

**_A/N : _**_Hello there! Sorry it took me so long to update... I have this deadline coming in 4days, and my research partner was getting frantic (i.e. borderline murderous) with our lack of progress. So I had to give priority to the report. To make up for the wait, there'll be two chapters this time =)_

_Thank you all those who followed and favourited and even reviewed! Thank you Arty Diane, Calinde, beckibean76, kilatails, 8aelynn, archerBlad3, better-in-black-since-1234, earthgirl3015 and fieryhairedmaiden92! =)_

_Considering my low self-esteem, it means the world to me. So I hereby promise to not delete this fic. However updates could get a bit sporadic depending on my teachers' sadistic assignments ^^_

**_Warning : _**_I see no triggers here... is old!lock shocking?_

**_Disclaimer : _**_I own nothing *snif*_

_Enjoy! =)_

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><p><em>Dear Jo-Ham,<em>

_What took you so long? I've been waiting for years! Waiting is the worst thing ever. Maybe it would have been better if I waited while being dead, because living and dreading each moment is agony. I am still Caiside. But it's been sixty years since I wrote that letter._

_We are far apart, by age and by miles. Our respective civilizations do not even suspect each other's existence. How low can the humanity fall? This is irritating. Truly, can't you do something about that? You're the one who studied ethics and sociology. You can surely pull something out to make those people evolve. At least, to make them travel faster and further. I can only do that much by teaching young druid apprentices. Honestly, it's frustrating. This is too slow; there is no understanding of basic things._

_Then again, I'm leaving some germs of science behind me. People won't understand them right now, but some day they'll be at the level of using it. As much as I hate relying on uncertain facts, druids must last long enough to pass the knowledge to the modern world. Now I sound foolish. If I were younger, I would be panicking, because this is NOT rational. But old age has its benefits apparently. Surprisingly, I welcome the unexpected and do not try to fight it. So weird. But how else could I collect such excellent data about the so-called "wisdom of elders"?_

_Either way, why are you trying to turn facts into "poetic" nonsense? Those proverbs have no tangible proof. However, the eyes' shape and color might be a distinctive sign we could use to find each other. That's a start. Despite the fact that your very own formula isn't stable and that leaves us with the eternity to experiment on it. Can we influence the cycle's length? Is it completely random? Does the way of dying influence the rebirth? I need reliable data on all this, and much more. And need I to remind you that my experiments were absolutely necessary for science? You let me borrow your lab!_

_So, we established that a skin contact with an artefact is needed to trigger our memory of the past lives. What kind of artefacts? The remnants of technology issued in Atlantis? Or any of lost empires would do? For now, we've reincarnated on the territory once controlled by Atlantis. What would happen if a new cycle sends one of us too far away? I hate all those questions. There are too many unknown variables. I can't stop the static from distracting me, and YOU are not here to make it go away._

_I spent sixty years with this constant noise of uncertainty preying on my mind. Don't you dare to die again, Jo-Ham. Not again._

_See you soon._

Carefully, Caiside placed the letter in the metallic box and closed it. A few clicks from the keyboard later the insides glowed blue. He sighed. His body felt heavy, but to be fair it had been that way for a decade. Faithfully coming to check on the postbox every month didn't help either. The blizzard chilled him to the bone. The forest was under the winter spell. Black slim trunks gave a melancholic contrast with the crystal white snow covering every bit of the free space. Echoes of distant noises chimed through the cold air. Hol-Lock looked at his wrinkled hands, frowning. By living again he finally understood how little can a single man do in a lifetime. Next time, he'd have to try harder.

Somewhere on the shores of a large river, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, a young dark-haired man with bright blue eyes impatiently typed his code on the keyboard and opened the postbox. A relieved smile welcomed the sight of the grey cloth covered in meticulous and bird-like handwriting.

"Took your time," he whispered, shaking his head. Loud voices from the other shore made him stand up, alert and wary. Gleams of torches made him spring into action. He grabbed the precious letter and carefully placed it under his clothes, close to his heart. The handle of the postbox clicked loudly before the device returned to its concealed state. With an apologetic glance to the postbox ("I'll find another one soon") Jo-Ham disappeared in the creeping shadows.


	6. Chapter 5 - Central America 2

_**A/N : **This chapter is a bit longer than previous ones. 'Cause I have a plot going on (for real) and Jo wanted to explain things thoroughly._

_I'm venturing into Mayan history here, please do not hesitate to point any glaring inconsistencies! _

_Don't think I mentionned it before, but I chose to place the Apocalypse (i.e. the end of Atlantis) around 1650BC (the Minoan eruption) for the sake of making an actually readable fic. The common theory places Atlantis in 9000-10000 BC, but that'd be too long. This means that right now boys are living in 500-490 BC._

**_Warnings: _**_possible glaring mistakes about Mayan social and economic structures. Blame Google._

**_Disclaimer: _**_you recognize it, I don't own it._

_Enjoy! =)_

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><p>A little girl silently crept through the dilapidated doorstep when the first star shone in the night sky. She hissed at the sharp gravel scratching her bare feet, but kept on walking close to wooden walls. The small village she lived in was situated too far from big cities to have military patrolling at night, but watchful neighbours were quite annoying in this kind of situation. She finally reached the barn where villagers kept the stock of maize during the winter and pushed hard the heavy door. It was dark inside, but she knew her path.<p>

"Ichik" she called out to the other end of the barn. A muffled rustling of clothes could be heard, and then light footsteps approached.

"Emetaly?" he whispered. The girl nodded and pulled a small package from her satchel. The young man took it with a grateful whisper. Inside there were some food and most importantly writing tools. How on earth could a peasant daughter get her hands on that, he didn't know, but was relieved nonetheless. "I owe you a favour here."

"Then tell me more about the city!" Emetaly chimed cheerfully and clung to his right hand. "Please, Ichik! You'll be gone tomorrow morning, and I'll have to do chores again, and I will never see the city or the _Ah Kin_, or those beautiful things…" she nearly forgot to breath. Jo-Ham's tired smile was hidden by shadows while he invited her to sit on the ground with him.

"Alright then. I've been a priest's apprentice, so I can tell you a lot. What do you want to know, my little helper?"

They talked until early hours of the morning. Emetaly had to go home before dawn, and she left happy with her new knowledge and sad that her story-teller must leave. Ichik, the rebel in hiding, formerly an _Ah K__in_ apprentice, left the small village and took the road to the river. He walked until the sun was high and burning, and only then allowed himself a pause. Sitting down under a shadowy rock, he pulled out the writing tools and began his letter.

_Dear Hol-Lock,_

_Really, I'm sorry to have made you wait! But as we established already, we have no influence on those cycles. Has it been that long?.. I wonder what happens to our souls in between. But I wish you wouldn't talk about enjoying death. We are too closely acquainted with it anyway._

_I know that you want to make things move faster, but I can do nothing but struggling to gradually improve the state of things. Like you leaving hints at greater knowledge to druids (who could have guessed that the unit you created would last so long?). One person isn't enough to change the world, indeed. I wish I could see your face when you were writing those lines. I bet you were pouting!_

_Unfortunately, I have no answers to your questions. It's really weird to have you preying on me for answers, you know? Usually, you have all of them already. But well, souls are not science. We'll have to wait and see. No other way to know, unless your genius mind finds another path._

A wild bird cried somewhere. Jo-Ham jerked up on his feet, his unfinished letter flying down. Ever since he left the priesthood, his description had been relayed to all the military outposts. The rebel _Ah Kin_, danger to the royal family. Nobody questioned this, not even his master or his mates. That hurt. However, his memories of forgotten kingdoms made the whole ordeal less difficult. He had a goal now, and achieved it will be. After a thorough check of his surroundings, the blue-eyed man decided to leave the place. Sitting around wasn't an acceptable leisure.

The night found him twelve kilometers east from his last camp. Aware of the dangerous proximity of a city, Jo-Ham didn't settle a fire. He wrapped a spare blanket over his clothes and curled under a mighty tree. His uneasy dreams were cut short with first sun rays. "Proper light at last" he mumbled while taking out the letter.

_There is something you should be aware of. Long story short, I was a priest apprentice up till recently. Three weeks ago, I attended a ceremony at the royal palace for the first time. We arrived a day prior to it, in order to prepare the ritual (an unexpectedly bloody yet popular practice, by the way). I sneaked around the palace during the night, just to check for relics of past. Didn't find any, but I came across an interesting scene in the middle of a deserted hall._

_There were two men whose faces I couldn't see (damn those useless torches!) casually discussing the future of this country. That would have been rather dull, except for the small detail. They were talking in sea language; Lock, they were bloody well using the language of Atlantis. And they were talking about making this land a stronghold and this nation a spear of destruction. Basically, a good old longing for world domination. They also alluded to an old heirloom._

_Honestly, I don't think those guys have ever been part of Atlantis law-abiding citizens, in any of their lifetimes. So I took extra care to remain unseen. However, the next day, I recognized their voices during the ritual. The high priest and the king's brother, that's two outstanding social positions. I'm not sure what betrayed me, but suddenly they stared at me (surprised I reckon) and the next thing I knew they were yelling and guards were rushing towards me. I know you would have appreciated the show. Anyway, I escaped the capital and now I'm officially a wanted rebel. So exciting (that's sarcastic, alright?)._

_There is something big going on, I'm sure of it. And I'm afraid it has to do with Black Spider. One would expect them to die in the catastrophe they created… I'll be looking into it, as soon as I find a way to infiltrate the high-society here. And your opinion on the matter would be very very welcome. I wish you'd be here. Playing spy without my best friend isn't fun at all._

_Till next time._

Three days later, on the outskirts of a port town, a young man pressed a hidden mechanism under a bridge. The postbox's bluish light gleamed shyly and the letter was gone. Jo-Ham waited until the device hid itself again, and sprinted through eerie docks, aiming for the dodgy tavern not so far away.

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><p><strong>AN: **_'Emetaly' is Mayan girl's name, meaning 'joy'_

_(reminder) 'Ichik' is Mayan boy's name, meaning 'rainbow'_

_'Ah Kin' is the clergy social class of the Yucatec Maya. Let's imagine that it was the same name in the whole Central America back then, ok? ^^_

_Reviews would be very welcome! =)_

_Next time I'll take a try on Persia ;)_


	7. Chapter 6 - Persia, Babylon

**_A/N: _**_Hello there! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update T.T I'm graduating in a few months and life is a bit hectic because of that._

_There are two chapters again this time, and I'll try to find more time to write ^^_

_Once again, I can't fully express how happy it makes me to have people favouriting, following and reviewing the story! Thank you Arty Diane, Calinde, The One with Purple Headphones, beckibean76, kilatails, 8aelynn, Mandypanda8, MisaGoddess, The Random Person, Tori. of. the. water. 24601, archerBlad3, better-in-black-since-1234, earthgirl3015, fieryhairedmaiden92, shhylady, tyler. blake.12, Fyrin Sparks! :)_

_Usually I would PM to answer the reviews, but I haven't been here for a long time, so I'll just adress the most recent ones at the end of this update._

_Ok, then..._

**_Disclaimer:_**_you recognize it, I don't own it._

**_Warnings:_**_implicit death of the character, kid!lock, possible glaring grammatical errors (please do not hesitate to point it out to me, I have no beta)._

_Here we go for Persia! Enjoy :)_

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><p>"Young master, you can't go alone. This is not safe."<p>

The young boy frowned. His unusual silver eyes had always scared the slave in charge of his upbringing. There was something in there, something an eight-years-old boy shouldn't have, not even in those troubled times.

"But I must go." He said petulantly. "Come with me, if you must." The poor man didn't have the choice. He couldn't go against the child's wishes, but couldn't neglect to keep him safe either. The young master was the heir of a prominent military clan. His father was a rumored general who fought against Athenians and took a great part in the carrying out King Artraxerxes' policy. Not that the boy had ever seen more than a glimpse of his illustrious progenitor. He was far too young to be accounted for.

They marched in the direction of the stable. The child had always been peculiar, ever since his birth. He learned quickly, but kept to himself. He didn't exactly treat servants differently, but more than once slaves had seen him glare at an abusive guest. They never mentioned it to anyone however. Everyone shall know their place in the wealthy empire.

Javid, that was the boy's name, patiently waited until his mare was saddled and his care-taker reverently helped the child to get on it. While the young master rode through the busy streets of Babylon, the slave paced behind. Eventually they got into a shady part of the ancient capital. The sight of rags and dirt didn't seem to trouble the rich child.

He dismounted with natural grace and held out his hand: "Give me the bag I prepared." He barely bit back the "please". That would have been inappropriate at least, and suspicious at worse. Whatever education he had been receiving again and again, only lectures given by his best friend in another life stuck with him permanently.

His companion fidgeted in place when Javid gave him strict orders to guard the horse and disappeared in a crumbling hut at the street corner. Poor workers and vagabonds circled around the well-bred animal but didn't dare to approach it. Yet.

Meanwhile, Hol-Lock made his way into an empty room. Dust was everywhere. He sniffled and knelt down in search of a hidden button. He ended up finding it rather quickly. The post-box emerged from the floor. He received Jo-Ham's last letter from Mayan kingdom when he was still a druid. But the old age got the upper hand on Caiside and there was no time to send a reply. He thanked whatever deity granted him an eidetic memory. Of course, he could and had always deleted some stuff, but Jo's letters were definitely a thing he was grateful to remember verbatim. Putting aside the fact that the scientist in him couldn't begin to comprehend how were the memories preserved between reincarnations.

The keyboard clicked cheerfully under his small fingers. He didn't expect another letter; they implicitly agreed to wait for the other to answer first. But the insides of the box glowed blue again and Hol-Lock grinned at the parchment in his hands. He carefully placed it into the bag while taking out his own letter. After scribbling a few more lines, he placed it in the post-box. He couldn't linger here any longer, after all.

His mission accomplished, he ran out to find his horse and his care-taker still in one piece. They hurried to leave the place, and at their arrival at home Javid withdrew to his favorite spot on the porch to read his friend's letter.

After reading it, the boy thought again of what he just sent.

_Dear Jo-Ham,_

_I didn't have enough time to reply to you before departing for a new cycle (see, I'm using metaphors now?). It appears though that my time spent between two lives had been rather short this once, not more than twenty years at my estimation._

_I've been born into a military family in Babylon eight years ago. My toys were actual relics, so I regained my memory at a very young age. It is an interesting experiment, since I'm able to cross-examine everything they think they are teaching me, but unfortunately the social structure degraded to a point even I can't handle well. Culture is such a slow thing to change._

_Souls are no science, you say. Why does it make them so intriguing then? It's hard to operate without reliable data. I can't even draw predictions based on our personal experience, since it's random. I will pester you about it to no end, just so you know._

_Now, about serious things. According to my observations, sea language as well northern, lemurian, eastern and global languages have mutated into a large variety of dialects, which origins are already hard to trace. If those men used the actual sea language, and I believe you haven't mistaken it for anything else, that would mean that either other people than us found a way to reincarnate, either an organization kept using it as its secret language. The latter hypothesis is more probable in regard of following events._

_However, if Black Spider is still active, we will have to be vigilant. We never found out their original goal, but hopefully we managed to prevent it. Not entirely, yes. I begin to admit that a partial victory is better than a complete defeat. Try to find out about those two men, their ties to the organization and their goal. I have yet to stumble across anything resembling a centuries-old plot to destroy the world, but they surely lost a lot more than expected in the Apocalypse. Perhaps their force is concentrated on that Mayan kingdom you live in._

_Be careful. You might be able to get back your memories after being reborn, but that would make us lose precious time. I'm not sure how they even recognized you. And I wish we would not repeat our last case's fiasco. For my part, I'll look into Persian high court from the moment I figure out the way for a child to sneak in._

_See you soon._

His urgent doodles formed a post-scriptum.

_PS. I just got your second letter. Will respond as fast as possible._

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**_Javid means 'eternal' in Persian, Caiside means 'curly head' in ancient Irish (that's Lock's previous incarnation)._

_Sorry for any mistakes about the Persian culture. Consider it creative license, alright? ;)_

_In this miniarc, Lock/Javid was born under Xerxes I reign, but the actual story happens under Artaxerxés I, so 460BC approximatively._


	8. Chapter 7 - Central America 3

**A/N: **_and here goes the second chapter!_

_I'm realizing that the story will take longer than I initially planned, hopefully it's okay ^^ I mean, I could try to make longer chapters, but it's always so much trouble to avoid a horrible cliffie. And I'm rather determined to make it last until the 21st century._

**_Disclaimer:_**_you recognize, I don't own it._

**_Warnings:_**_nothing explicit, maybe some sappy phrases I can't help but put there._

_Reviews, critics, suggestions are very welcome! Enjoy :)_

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><p>Javid snapped out of his day-dreaming and looked again at the parchment on his lap. Jo-Ham's second letter.<p>

_Dear Hol-Lock,_

_I know it's been a while, but I tried to wait for your letter. Please, tell me I wasn't too late with my previous answer. It took me only a week. Anyway, it's been twenty four years now since the last time I wrote to you. I think it's time to make an update on the situation here._

_I changed my name and appearance (as much as it was possible with no technology) and joined the army far away from the capital. It was my only way to ever have access to the court without a noble family to back me up. That's why it took me so long to get where I am now, meaning a step away from the high priest who hunted me quarter of century ago. There are ongoing conflicts with bordering tribes (can't call them countries, really) and I spent a lot of time out there._

_The good news is that they almost forgot about me. Probably presume me dead or something. The bad news is that those guys seem to be simple pawns. I managed to pinpoint a small circle of aristocrats who organize dramatic secret meetings where they speak sea language (your lessons of stealth paid off, I'm an ace at tailing now). They talk about world supremacy without even knowing how wide the planet is. They think there is nothing beyond the ocean. But they do refer to higher members of this "society", and those men might know much more than they should._

_There are probably scripts of Black Spider kept safe and passed down to generations of aspiring mad tyrants. If only I could get my hands on it, we'd know what their plan has been all along._

_I'm afraid I won't get anywhere with just waiting for an opportunity to spy on them. I'll have to act soon, maybe try to infiltrate the organization. It might work after all. If the Apocalypse was their unfinished business, the completion of their goals would be terrifying. No way I'm sitting this one out._

_Be safe, my friend._

_Till next time._

Hol-Lock glared at the letter with irritation and worry. The "Having you and the whole world die before my eyes was hard enough that one time, I won't let it happen again" remained unspoken but stayed present all over Jo-Ham scrawls. He recognized it easily, because the same feeling infused his letters as well. That terrorist organization destroyed everything they had, survived and was struggling to make a replay of the disaster. The boy clenched his tiny fists. Physical age or not, he was more than able to do some ground work.

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><p><strong>AN:** _Here it goes. I think I'll stick with Persia for another chapter, but I will need to find a new place for John :) Thank you for reading!_

_So, as promised I'll adress the reviews here, but I will honestly try to answer by PM next time!_

**_Arty Diane : _**_I'm happy you like it! Didn't expect Lock's letter have such a strong effect, though__ :) In my head, they have a really strong brotherly bond, and being separated like that, it just called for some sentiment ^^ The plot is just strating to unravel, by the way, I want to keep a sort of quest through the story. And yes, it has to do with his eyes! :) It'll be explained later. Hope you enjoyed the Persian chapter :)_

**_earthgirl3015:_**_ Thank you! I'll keep going :)_

**_Fyrin Sparks: _**_ Thank you! It's a relief that people like it, really :) I'm always afraid that the idea is out of place or something._


	9. Chapter 8 - Persia, Babylon 2

**A/N: **_Hello! Ahem. It's been four months. I'm an awful person. I'm so sorry... T_T Well, in my defence, I was kind of busy. Good news, by the way, I have my Master degree, so I'll probably manage to update more often. Until I get a job... (anyone hiring in France?..)_

_Thanks so much to those who kept following and favouriting! You're my favourite people in the whole world :) And mail alerts kept me thinking about this fic and I'm very much ashamed to have spent so much time before updating._

_Good news again, there are three chapters for you today! (a desperate try to redeem myself)_

_For this one..._

**_Disclaimer: _**_Don't own, don't own, no, no...  
><em>

**_Warnings:_**_still kid!lock, still Persia. Shameless meddling with historical truth._

_Not beta-ed, not Brit-picked._

_Reviews in any form are welcomed! Enjoy :)_

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><p>The hot breath of the young flame wrapped the man in charge of the light tower. For long minutes he completely devoted to faithfully transmitting the message to the next fire post by regulating the smoke. He never saw the young child watching his work from shadows in the nearby grove. When Javid was sure that his plan succeeded, he strode back through the bluish twilight back to his home. It took all his ingenuity to pull out this operation.<p>

First, he had to establish a secret adult persona who would give orders to underlings. Then, the secrecy had to be ensured by using loyal messengers. Finally, the transmission of the message itself had to be untraceable. After all, he did use his biological father's authority to speed up the execution.

The next day, he took the familiar path through the back-garden to slip out of the house. He worked hard to preserve the appearance of being a normal child, but at the same time he alienated most of the household. At least, nobody questioned his whereabouts between dawn and sunset.

A dusty cloak successfully concealed his age and social status. Busy streets have been buzzing with activity for hours now. Merchants, crooks, workers, servants circulated restlessly in search of something they couldn't name themselves. They didn't notice the child sliding among them to the old part of town, where some collapsing buildings still stood under the burning summer sun.

After making sure of being completely alone in the empty room, Javid triggered the postbox and quickly deposited his letter. He had waited a month before being able to finally reply to Jo's second message. There was no third. The rational part of his mind already suspected what had happened across the ocean, but he surprised himself by avoiding those thoughts. Reincarnations were making him far too sentimental.

_Dear Jo-Ham,_

_What you discovered must be just a little part of a vast organization. The influence of Black Spider back then, before the Apocalypse, had been wide spread. Those "heirlooms" were most likely left all over the world, and some fanatics survived to make it last through generations. Your Mayan people seem to be a fairly advanced civilization, considering the current technological level. Hence, the Black Spider's successors are more active. I'm sure there is something similar going on here, in Persia._

_I managed to set up a web of informants in order to be up to date with political plots. The information sorting will be exhausting and utterly boring, I reckon… How did you manage to stay sane while doing this kind of thing? Just thinking about the task drives me mad._

_I also sent a group of bounty hunters to look over the place where the University of Babel had been in our days. I gathered that only ruins were left, but maybe this little expedition will shed some light on the far too quick erosion of the memory of Apocalypse._

_Now. I got your second letter, but how long ago did you write it? It's so inconvenient to not have a common calendar. And what did you find? What happened to you? I'll be waiting for your answer._

_Expect another letter from me soon. I feel better writing to you about my findings anyway._

_Please, answer me soon._


	10. Chapter 9 - Persia, Babylon 3

**A/N:** _A little detail on the timeline that won't appear in the text but might help to make sense out of this: John's last letter dated from five years before Sherlock read it._

**_Disclaimer: _**_You recognize it, I don't own it._

**_Warnings: _**_None. Oh, and it's still Persia ^^  
><em>

_Enjoy :)_

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><p><em>Dear Jo-Ham,<em>

_I'm still waiting for your letter. What happened to you? It's been five years since I wrote to you, so my only option now is to bet on a short reincarnation cycle, analogous to my last one. This unpredictability is still getting on my nerves._

_Do you remember the University of Babel? The one that was famous for its linguistics and history chairs? The Apocalypse practically erased the place. I sent two expeditions and even visited it myself. After so many years only deformed ruins remain, but somehow there is something else. I stumbled on an abandoned crypt. No one had been there for a hundred years at least. It was a sort of a sanctuary… My knowledge of religions is still rubbish. I wish I could send you an image, or simply have you by my side; the investigation would go so much quicker!_

_I guess I found what your Mayan "friends" called heirlooms. It's a booklet, clearly from our era. It was perfectly preserved, and the paper quality corresponds to latest years of our age. It's written in sea language. However, I concluded that it's got nothing to do with Atlantis. As you certainly recall, there was another country which used the sea language. The Empire that fell to Black Spider._

_The contents of this booklet were quite disturbing. It stated ground rules for those who join the Organization, as they call it, and gave a quick overview of their plans. Nothing we didn't know already however. I believe that more complete documents were taken away._

_Taking in account the approximate age of the crypt and the long-run nature of written plans, I venture to say that a part of Persian ruling class had been corrupted for a very long time. I am still not of age to approach them without raising suspicion, but my informants are supplying somewhat useful information. But no sign of a plot of a bigger scale yet. They must have at their disposal means that a loner like me can't acquire. Honestly, it is frustrating. One life isn't enough to change anything!_

_I need the information you dug out. I need your opinion. There is too much data, sometimes I feel like drowning._

_I hope to hear from you soon._


	11. Explanatory Author's Note (about the AU)

**A/N**

Hey ! Basically, it's not a chapter, but I think I need to make some explanation about the AU at this point. I don't think I'll be able to insert all this information directly in the story, but it could help to understand. Or you can just pass by and move on to the rest of the story, details are not vital to the plot. It's up to you!

So, first of all, it's something I totally created, and let's forget about historical truth (I'm mostly trying to convince the history-geek part of me here). I did a lot of research on "Lost Lands" before starting the story, so this is the result of that and of my wild imagination.

As I already said, the Apocalypse would have happened somewhere around 1650 BC.

What did the world before the Apocalypse look like, you ask?

Hehehe…

The world was divided into five great empires. I only talked about Atlantis for now, but at least one other will join the party later, so I'll try to cover the basics without annoying you for too long :)

The current shapes of continents emerged after the Apocalypse (there'd been the planet axis shifting, tectonic plates throwing a global party, tsunamis, the good old fashioned end of the world). If you're really interested in this product of my imagination, I drew a rough map and I can PM it to those who would ask for it :)

So. Atlantis. The metropolitan part of this empire had been in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean (no surprise here). Basically, it is a big, big archipelago of seven circular islands. Their overseas territories include to Central America, North Africa and most of Europe. A bit of Middle East too. It's a monarchy. Very advanced in medicine and arts. Stable economy, pacifist political stance. The official language is the Sea Language. Hol-Lock was part of the Secret Service, and Jo-Ham was an Army Captain and in a charge of the biggest medicine research facility.

Next, Hyperborea, or Northern Kingdom. The core of this country is made up of four very big islands (bigger than the present Greenland anyway) around the North Pole. Their overseas territories include what would correspond to a part of North America, Scandinavia, most of Asia, Scotland and Denmark. It's a theocracy. There is a royal family, but they are very close to the religious class. Very advanced in wireless technology and biology. Stable economy, mostly defensive political stance. The official language is the Northern Language. Hyperborea and Atlantis were historically close partners.

Third, the Mu Empire. It is situated in Pacific Ocean. Actually, Australia and NZ would be the remains of their territory. Their influence covers South America, Japanese isles and South-East Asia. It's a democracy. They have a quick-growth economy, a very developed industry and a very active financial market. Actually Mu is the banker of the pre-Apocalypse world. Mostly aggressive political stance, but no overt conflict, and others' influence is to be accounted for. The official language is the Eastern Language.

Fourth, Lemuria. It is situated in Indian Ocean. Their territory also includes most of Africa. It's the poorest country in the pre-Apocalypse world. It's a democracy. The economy is mostly based on agriculture. They are dominating the global agro-food sector, but often have to bend to their partners' demands (Mu, Atlantis and Hyperborea). Mostly passive political stance. The army is really weak. The official language is the Lemurian.

By the way, there is a global language, used during intercultural interactions. And the global level of the civilization is maybe a bit higher than today. A little bit higher, yeah.

And finally, the black sheep of this little happy planet – Antarctica. It's situated at the South Pole. The country has been closed off for centuries, seldom attacking their neighbors. The official language is the Sea Language. Outsiders don't know much about this place. It is believed that the omnipotent terrorist organization Black Spider is originated from there, and would actually be a ruling party of Antarctica.

Well. That'd be all for geography lessons =) Need I remind you that everything is made up by my over-enthusiastic brain, and there is not a hint of historical (or geological for that matter) truth in the story? No? Good.

Moving to the next chapter!


	12. Chapter 10 - Taxila, India

**A/N **: _And this is my latest chapter to this day. John's latest reincarnation for you :)_

_About it... I was starting to get short on OCs to subtly integrate into the History, so this time he'll be an actual historical figure. Cheers to those who'd figure it out before it's revealed in one of next chapters ;)_

**_Disclaimer: _**_You recognize it, I don't own it.  
><em>

**_Warnings: _**_sentiment (not much, but still), some hints about my made-up concept of reincarnation (it might be complex and badly explained, please tell me if it's getting really confusing) and implicit character's violent death.  
><em>

_Enjoy! :)_

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><p>The shy sun of the late winter shone weakly through milky clouds. A young man in Kshatriyas' clothes followed a barely used path under silent trees. The temperature had dropped down overnight, and his breath was a steam in the cold breeze. Determined dark blue eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for something only he would recognize. Finally, he stopped under an old sheesham tree. The forest was quiet, giving off an impression of sleepiness. The city of Taxila was several miles away to the South. He took a long road in order to come to this place.<p>

Nimble fingers found the fake patch on the ground, and the metallic box appeared. Smiling softly, the man typed _Hedgehog_ on the keyboard. The blue light was blinding, which immediately made him frown. His frown grew deeper when he pulled out three parchments. That was unexpected. Now properly worried, Jo-Ham settled on the ground, his back against the sheesham, and started reading.

Somehow he managed to determine the chronology of those letters, and read them in order. He had been wondering why he didn't get a reply back then, when he had been a Mayan rebel. The shortness of Hol-Lock latest rebirth cycle surprised him. His own soul took so much more time to reincarnate. As the scientist initially in charge of the project, he felt bad for the lack of data on their experiment. As a doctor, he had been sick with worry every time he or his friend reentered the cycle of rebirth. So many things could go wrong. Every time he received a letter from Hol-Lock, it was a relief. Temporary, but a relief nonetheless.

Jo-Ham gently brushed the black lines with the tips of his fingers. As always, his friend was impressive. Doing all that research and setting up a secret spying organization before the tender age of ten, even for one with memories of a different world and several past lives, it was a difficult feat. Right now, Jo's physical body was seventeen. He had recovered his memories three years ago, when the Hellenic army came to Taxila before the great battle of Hydaspes River. Someone dropped an ancient medallion and he happened to pick it up. He had seen Alexander marching on their streets, and couldn't help but wonder at how similar the eyes of the Macedonian were to the eyes of an Atlantis Royal General he knew long ago.

Sighing, Jo-Ham pulled himself out of reminiscences. He took out a yellowed cloth and a bottle of ink with a small brush, carefully preserved from shocks in a rough bag under his robes.

_Dear Hol-Lock,_

_I'm sorry I made you wait. My cycle of rebirth seems to be longer than yours, though I can't explain why. The time of my last death in Mayan kingdom roughly corresponds with your first letter from Persia, but based on information you gave me, I think it's been more than a hundred years ago. Persia is now under the rule of a Macedonian king, and so is part of the country I live in._

_I'm currently studying under a renowned professor Chanakya in the city of Taxila (it's on the eastern border of Atlantis Empire, I think, and relatively close to Babylon). My age is seventeen, and my family is a clan of warriors and politicians._

_Now, the information is a little out-of-date, but I'll tell what I found back then. It appears my spying skills aren't as good as I thought. I got caught. But well, they couldn't have known that whatever they say, I'd remember it in the next life, so they took their time gloating, and this part was quite instructive. Actually, it confirms your deductions about the Black Spider. There were crypts, or rather safe-houses like the one you found in Babel, all over the world, preserved from the Apocalypse by a set of defensive technologies which burned out shortly after the catastrophe. The followers of the Spider suffered severe losses, but some of them managed to get out the documents hidden in those crypts. But of course, the knowledge was incomplete, and the doctrine quickly degraded to the state of a tenacious religious sect. They talk the sea language and think of conquests, but it's mostly crazy babbling._

_However, judging by the way they kept referring to a certain Coordinator, I'm afraid there is another layer to this; and unfortunately I didn't have the pleasure to be introduced to this Coordinator bloke. Pity, really, since he's the one who pointed me out as a potential danger.  
><em>

_I think it corroborates your own theories. By the way, did you find anything else? I figured out your last letter was from when you were thirteen. What happened after that?_

He paused for a minute. Writing about his previous life had been easy, too easy considering its end. He took a shaky breath. They were playing a dangerous game since the beginning, but he sincerely hoped that his friend would never be caught by the new Black Spider. It was not a pleasant experience.

_I noticed something else, that might be irrelevant, but it's disturbing to say the least. During my previous life, and this one too, I met several people who looked familiar. Not in the way "they look like someone I knew before Apocalypse". It's just… their personality, the way they talked… and their eyes. You know, the Macedonian king I mentioned before? He has the eyes of my commanding officer from Atlantis. Some people have the eyes of blokes I met during my military service abroad. And then there is this woman I met a week ago. I could have recognized her eyes anywhere, green and gray, and… I'm inclined to think that what we're experiencing, these reincarnations are not an abnormality. What's different about us is that we can remember our previous lives. I don't know._

_God, I'm confused to the point of talking to you about sentiment. Sorry. Even if my theory were true, they can't remember, and basically it wouldn't change a thing for us. I know that, but… Well, it's like a second chance, isn't it? Or not._

_I have to go. It's getting cold in the evening. I still have a lot to tell you, but it can wait for now._

_Till next time, my friend._

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><p><strong>AN: **_"Kshtriyas" is a social caste (or a varna, to be more precise) of kings, governors, warriors and soldiers (cf. Wikipedia) in Hindu society. As you probably guessed, Jo's in India. Can you figure out when? ;)  
><em>

_I still have a week to make another update before being swept away by family duties, and I'll try to make the best of it._

_Any review is appreciated! :)_


	13. Chapter 11 - Taxila, India 2

**A/N: **_oh my, an update!_

_Special thanks to Arty Diane for your reviews! It certainly helped to write faster, having someone waiting for the next chapter ;)_

**_Disclamer:_**_You recognize it, I don't own it._

**_Warnings:_**_ a bit of sentiment, BAMF!John (I seem to have a strong tendency to make John into an almost super-hero, anyway), references to violent death._

_Not beta-ed, not Brit-picked._

__So, here goes the end of the "identity-cliffie"._ Enjoy! :)_

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><p>Long shadows engulfed the majestic building of the Takshashila University. The soothing twilight of a summer night was filled with a hot breeze and the incessant buzz of insects. A proud man with dark blue eyes in imperial clothes walked hastily under marbled arches. He stopped briefly to longingly gaze upon austere walls before continuing his stride to the small fountain in the further corner of the inner yard. Another man, looking older but less weary, was waiting for him there.<p>

"I still don't understand your need to keep this visit secret, _samraat_. Your enemies might take advantage of your absence."

"You're not the only one with hidden agenda, _siksaka_" the blue-eyed man snapped with an edge of infinite bitterness in his voice. Chankaya took a small step back, seeing the still present pain under the calm exterior of the young Emperor. Ever since the death of Durdhara, the Empress consort, after an accidental poisoning, Chandragupta Maurya had lost his smile. Even the survival of his son didn't lighten him up.

Seeing the wary doubt in his master's eyes, Jo-Ham sighed resignedly. He couldn't blame Chankaya for trying to keep him safe; he couldn't rationally admit evil intentions to his advisor. He held so many responsibilities now and there were actual people out for his head. It wasn't something planned, not something he had expected to do four years ago. He wondered why his lives were always so hectic. Meeting the woman with the eyes of his long-lost love was an odd and wonderful surprise. It really felt like a second chance at this relationship. But seeing her die in an instant? It was one of the worst experiences in all his lifetimes.

"Do not worry" Jo-Ham said in his best imitation of offhandedness. "I will not endanger the result of our work. But there are things about me even you, _siksaka,_ do not need to know." He wasn't under any illusions about the means his old master had at his disposal. After all, Chankaya was the one to push his young student to oppose the Nanda King, leading to war and eventually the founding of a new Empire. The Professor merely didn't consider the possibility of Maurya being drawn by any other motive than the desire for power and glory.

He marched away, consciously slowing his steps to appear dignified and confident. The night was promised to be tedious.

#

It took him hours to throw off the tail. It made a good point for Chankaya's spies, that he spent so much time at it, what with Lock's stealth lessons and army training. Finally, Jo-Ham felt sure enough that his every step wasn't watched and all but run under dark trees, occasionally crossing patches of moonlight. The path seemed shorter than the last time he followed it. Jo-Ham stopped to look around, panting heavily after the unexpected race. On his right, the sheesham tree whispered softly in the wind.

With a nostalgic smile, the man uncovered the post box, quickly typed his code and waited a few moments for the blue light to shine. But no message was there for him. A disappointed sigh escaped him. Of course, they wouldn't so conveniently be reborn at the same time. There was a one in a million chance that they'd exist in the same timeline again. Shaking away the dark thoughts, Jo-Ham put his own letter in the box and hit "send".

_Dear Hol-Lock,_

_It's been four years since my last letter. I half-expected to get a word from you in the meantime. That was wishful thinking, I know. I also should have written to you sooner, but things just happened._

_How to start explaining the mess my current life is at the moment? I told you that I was studying under an eminent professor. The man certainly doesn't lack ambition either. He supervised a lot of high-ranking officials, and has an impressive network. Somehow, I caught his eye. I don't know what he could possibly see in me, but he brought me into confidence of his plans of over-throwing the dynasty of a neighbouring Empire, the Nandas. Something about an old grudge. It took place shortly after my first letter._

_I had been reluctant to involve myself. So he arranged for me to visit the capital and the imperial court, and I had no choice but to go. When I was doing my own visiting of the palace, I came across a secret meeting (honestly, it's starting to get old) of the royal family and their advisors. I was expecting to uncover their corruption, it was evident even for me that there was money embezzlement blooming among them, but I did not expect them to raise funds for Black Spider. They weren't actually speaking the sea language like my Mayan friends, so maybe they weren't deeply involved in this, but their conversation was enough for me to put them on my "people-I-hate" list._

_After that visit, needless to say that I was in for Chankaya's plan of conquering the Nanda Empire, only not for the reasons he hoped for. I became a leader to an army, formed alliances with local kings and eventually led a guerilla war to take over an entire country. I still have trouble to believe it had been my doing. It sounds so… surreal. Weird. But the Nanda dynasty is out of the game, which might hinder Spider's plans in this region. Good enough for me._

_So, what do you think about my theory about reincarnation being a common thing? The formula I created was initially meant to facilitate the study and possibly control rebirth cycles. It's an uncharted territory, though, and it's not unlikely that we just altered a minor setting in an already existent natural process._

_By the way, I married the woman I told you about last time. She had those eyes, and her personality, her manner of speaking were the same as my fiancée back in Atlantis. But now she's dead, and it might as well be my fault. I would have taken another chance at reincarnation if it weren't for the threat of Black Spider surging inside the new Empire, and all those people depending on me. I can't let them down. I just can't bring myself to do so. Thus, I will wait for my one-year-old son (yes, I had a son. With her. Don't go looking into this, please.) to grow up and take the lead._

_I'm afraid I won't be able to write to you for a long time. I don't get much of free time nowadays, and all sorts of spies, assassins and bodyguards are usually following me around. Sometimes, it's even entertaining._

_Hopefully, you'll be there, on the other end, next time I use a postbox._

_Till next time._

Jo-Ham observed his letter disappearing with a strong sense of nostalgia. Most of the time, he coped quite well with the situation, but there were moments, like this one, where he was overwhelmed with doubt, and fear, and regrets. Not that he'd been emotionally stable lately. He looked up to stars that were silently shimmering above the mountain. Whatever happens to them, the sky will always be the same impassive glorious dome. Some things never change. He just prayed that his important people would be included in that list.

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><p><strong>AN: **_Virtual cookies to Arty Diane for having guessed Jo-Ham's current identity! :) (and to all those who guessed it but stayed silent)_

_"samraat" is an Ancient Indian title for Emperors. Chandragupta Maurya is typically considered the first Samraat ever (thx again, Wikipedia).  
><em>

_"siksaka" is a Hindi word for "teacher, tutor, professor"._

_I shamelessly used a lot of facts about Maurya in this mni-arc, you can check it out if you're interested (because it is interesting ^^ )  
><em>

_There may be another set in India before going back to Sherlock, but I'm not sure yet. The next update would probably take two weeks, since I won't my computer with me, but certainly less than a month, I promise!_


	14. Chapter 12 - Karnataka, India

**_A/N:_**_ Hello! I promised an update, and here it is. I'm still working on the next Sherlock part, the research got a little stuck during holidays ^^_

_Thanks to everyone who favourted and followed, and special thanks to my reviewers! You are great, people :)_

_**Disclaimer:** Don't own, don't own *snif*_

**_Warnings: _**_it's rainy and depressing (family gatherings usually have this effect on me)_

_Not beta-ed, not brit-picked. _

_R&R. Enjoy! :)_

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><p>Heavy rain fell on the dusty road, filling cracks in rocks and clay. The air suddenly became thick with invisible steam, difficult to breathe. The lonely figure darted to the nearby acacia tree to find shelter. The season of rainfalls wasn't the best time to travel, but the man who absently tangled wet locks around his fingers didn't have a place to stay over anymore.<p>

Everyone believed him dead, after all.

#

Jo-Ham sighed and took a critical look at his work. His makeshift shelter built under the tree wouldn't protect him from wild animals or outlaws, but it would do against the weather. He squatted to fit under the roof of dry leaves and various branches, mindful not to break any of the pillars. He lay down on his only piece of woolen fabric, glad that he had brought it along. The rain continued its incessant and sometimes melodic clatter, soothing and healing the over-heated land.

#

The night had thrown its dark blanket over the country hours ago when the blue-eyed man stumbles out of his shelter. He nipped at a biscuit while examining his surroundings. The rain had stopped for a short breather, giving a perfect opportunity to stretch sour muscles. Taking a short walk, out of the blue he came to a halt over a seemingly normal patch of tall grass. With a surprised exclamation, he bent to have a better look, and finally a soft click announced the apparition of the postbox.

"Didn't expect to find it here" Jo-Ham muttered under his breath.

After a brief hesitation, he typed the code, trepidation rising in his gut. Nothing happened. A numb feeling of disappointment took over him, but he quickly discarded it by sheer force of long-term habit. He had sat on the muddy ground, thoughtlessly staring at the postbox, until the skies unleashed their fury once again.

#

The next morning, as the rain relented to an annoying drizzle, the ex-Emperor rummaged in his worn bag for writing tools. Somehow he managed to find a parchment and a charcoal. It would make a sketchy letter at best, but it actually was the best he had for now.

_Dear Hol-Lock,_

_I didn't expect to write a letter again in this lifetime. It's been over two decades. I've been an Emperor, fancy that. I conquered lands, governed a country. It still feels so unreal to me. I've been looking for Black Spider among my friends and foes alike. I've even stopped some of them… I've sent spies looking for those crypts, but whatever they found, it was already in ruins. I tried to lay bases to the society which would stay stable, safe from the influence of an archaic terrorist organization. The rest is up to my son from this reincarnation and his heirs, I guess._

_In the end, I just couldn't take it anymore. I left the throne, everything and followed travelling monks because there was nothing more I could do without losing myself. I still feel terrible about abandoning people who relied on me, but they're in good hands for now._

_You know, I haven't really spoken with another person for nearly a year now. Those monks I travelled with, one of their vows is to always speak the truth. It is something I could appreciate, but my truth is so different from theirs. I didn't last long with them, though. I faked my death and now I'm free to go wherever I want. And isn't it a strange feeling! I dreamt of this privilege for years in my palace, surrounded by advisors and generals and – heaven forbid! – servants. And now I am honestly at a loss of what to do next. Well, sitting under a tree while waiting for the rain to stop is a fairly interesting option today._

_I shall not annoy you with my ramblings anymore; we don't want you to take out your frustration on innocent bystanders, do we?_

_Till next time, my friend._

He gazed upon his scribbles. God knows what his friend would deduce from his writing and phrasing. Would he understand just how hollow he felt right now? So much possibilities but no strength or will to grasp any of them. He tried to persuade himself that he did more than enough for this lifetime. But it hadn't been enough to stop the threat. It hadn't been enough to save his wife either. Maybe the pain would go away. Maybe.

#

The sky kept on pouring crystal droplets of water over the land. Jo-Ham lay on his back and stared at grey clouds above. Lonely wasn't a word strong enough to define him right now.

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Well. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but for once I managed to get the virtual self-imposed deadline ^^_

_I meddled with Maurya's story, by the way, by making him fake his death. But it's true that he left his trone and became a monk at the end of his life._

_I'm working on the next part! See you soon :)_


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